So, for this quarter on base our guy's staff growth group are going through a series of videos from Focus on the Family called 'The Truth Project'. It's a series of classroom lectures from Dr. Del Tackett on the issue of truth and the way it plays a role in every area of our life and society.
We are covering alot of large and heady topics such as:
What is Truth?- Is it relative? Is it absolute? Does it matter?
Philosophy and Ethics
Anthropology
Theology
Sociology
That's a lot of "ology" for you.
So far we have covered 'what is truth?' and 'Philosophy and Ethics-say's who?'
Both have been rich in content, almost to the point that you can't quite grasp everything that is being said, so I will try to recall what I can.
One thing that I feel like God has been showing me (and it's timely as well) is how the Bible and the Truth can be applied to all aspects of life. This was a generally accepted thing back when our country was founded. Even the folks that didn't believe in God were writing laws and such based off of what the Bible said was right and wrong. There was reference point, a foundation for that basis. The Bible was applied to every aspect of life and was held as a compass for which we could always reference back to. Whether that's in science, history, or just working your job and raising your kids. And it's no wonder that the Bible was held in higher regard when they actually believed that what is in the Bible is true. Not half true. Not partially true. Not just a book of good morals or a behavior guidance counseler.
31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
When you look at what is being preached to you by secular media and even some christian media it's messages of tolerance and relativity. Right and wrong, black and white are left in the dust in return for whatever seems right and gray. What is truth? Is it subject to me and my feelings or conscience? Is it better to compromise what is true for a message of false love and acceptance? Or is truth based on something completely removed from me and unchanging in nature? Like...God and His word. Are we HOLDING to Jesus' teachings and becoming His disciples?
Here's a short overview of our last lesson:
"Philosophy, according to Dr. R. C. Sproul, is "a scientific quest to discover ultimate reality." This would seem to indicate that philosophical ideas about truth are closely aligned with the biblical definition given in Lesson 1: truth = reality. In this connection, it's worth noting that the 1828 edition of Webster's Dictionary included the following affirmation: "true religion and true philosophy must ultimately arrive at the same principle." Significantly, Webster's original definition of the word also asserted that philosophy aims "to enlarge our understanding of God." God, of course, has been edited out of subsequent editions of the dictionary. This is consistent with the perspective of contemporary culture, which has been taken captive by the unfounded assumption that "the cosmos is all there is or ever was or ever will be" (Carl Sagan). Another way to say this is that current thought pictures reality as a closed box – a cosmic cube – in which there is no room for anything that cannot be sensually or materially perceived. The problem is that with the lid of the box closed and God excluded, philosophy is deprived of a universal reference point and thus crippled in its "scientific quest for ultimate reality." As a result, it cannot answer the most basic questions about right and wrong behavior."
I'm leaving maui on April 30th so I won't be able to go through the whole twelve part series, but I know that what I've already watched and discussed has got the 'ol wheels a turnin (as they say).
More on this later.
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